An expert panel appointed by Canada's national health agency recently concluded that Vancouver's supervised injection site is saving money and lives, increasing access to health care and treatment, and improving public order--all without increasing crime.
 
Insite, a supervised injection facility in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, is a pilot project that has been operating since 2003. Insite operates under a federal exemption to Canada's drug laws, but federal officials have been reluctant to make that exemption permanent.
 
Supporters of the facility view the findings of the Expert Advisory Committee on Supervised Injection Site Research, which prepared the new report, as the latest affirmation that the site should be allowed to remain open. Member of Parliament Libby Davies, who represents Vancouver East and received an award at the 2007 International Drug Policy Reform Conference for her work in government, advocated for Insite recently in Parliament, saying, "It is time for the minister to honor and support the extensive research that has been done."
 
In the new report, the committee comments on widespread support for the site, saying, "Letters of support and surveys show that health professionals, local police, the local community and the general public have positive or neutral views of INSITE services and the majority wish to see the service continue."
 
The committee's findings support previous research that also found Insite to be a success.